Cigar-assorting device



Patented Aug. 2l, 1923.

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CHRISTIAN F. Bia-mana, or TAMPA, FLORIDA.

crean-Assonnato DEVICE.

To all fw from t may concern y Be it lrnown that I, CHRISTIAN F. Buisman, 'a citizen or theA United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsboro and State Vio to methods and apparatuses forV sorting cigars according to theirlcolors, andv shades.

Ordinarily it is dilhcult and tedious to 'sort cigars accord-ing to their colors and 'shades-because or thefact that there are so IgE many different shades in a lot of cigars,.and the use of samples is rendered necessary. Ihese samplesniust be placed at a point which willmalre .it easy for the person sortingthe cigarsto bring the cigar in close proximity to the sample, for the purpose of getting all of a single shade or nearest thereto, in a group for passage to vanother person for packing. The samples have been so located thatthe sorter could not properly match the cigars with the samples,'thuscausing a collection of a number of cigars of various shades in a sample group. It is the-particular object of the present invention to provide a device wherein the sorter must pass the Vcigar directly over the sample in placing the cigar in its proper group, with the result that the cigars are more perfectly matched.

Another object is to provide a tray in which the cigars are stacked according to their shades, which tray is arranged to properly and conveniently support the cigar samples, and wherein the diiierent stacks of cigars will be held in their appropriate groups.

Another object `is to provide a sample holder which is` so constructed and applied to the tray that the rows oi. cigars in each stack will be held in proper position, and wherein, as the stack grows in height, the holders may be elevated to properly hold the stacks.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with. the accompanying drawing,

'i .L Application ined :December e, 1921.1 Ysentii N0. 521,065.

In the drawing: Figure l is a top plan view of a tray for sorting cigars, made in accordance with the present invention. i Y

Figure 2- is airont elevation of a portion of thetray, showing the sainple'holders.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional `view through a portion of the bottom of the tray and one of Athe sampleholders, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1 H

Figure 4; is a perspective view of one of thesample holders removed from the tray. Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents the bottom of the tray in which the cigar stacks are arranged by the sorter,fs"aid bottoni having a central recess 11 in its front edge face within which the sorter stands while selecting and sorting the cigars. Formed in the bottom 'l0 and extendingin a directionV transversely of the sorter, are parallel-series of elongated slots 12.- In each ofthe slots 12 isremovably disposed one of the cigar sample holders which'will now be described.

The sample holder includes ai vertical stem 13 formed from a sheetv of suitably stiff metal, and a transverse head 111 secured on the upper end of the stein. formed from a strip of wood having a longitudinal kerf or groove 15 in its lower Yface within which the upper end of the stem is secured. In the upper face of the wood strip 111 there is Jformed a longitudinal transA versely curved groove 15 Vhaving a high side and a low side, and secured to one vertical face of the head and rising above the low side of the groove, is a strip or soft rubber 16, said upper portion ot the rubber serving 'as the other wall of the groove thus Jformed in the upper face or the head. Between the rear wooden wall, and the front soft rubber wall, the cigar sample 17 is held, the rubber performing the function of a clamping jaw to hold the cigar.

It will be noted, upon reference to Figures 1 and 2, that there is a sample holder in each of the slots of the bottom of the tray, and that the holders are spaced a sufficient distance apart to accommodate the ends of the cigar samples, without interference thereof.

The cigars are placed behind the holders, so that the first cigar placed on the bottom of the tray will rest against the head of the holder, the next cigar is placed behind the iirst cigar, and so on until the row reaches The head lelis the neXt line of holders, when a second row is formed on top of the lirst row. Before placing the second row in position, the holder is pulled upwardly to such a distance that the lower face will partially rest on the first cigar of the row. The rest of the row is then placed in position. Each time that of theV fact that out of a thousand cigars there will be approximately' rfour or ve hun- A dred different colors and shades. VSometimes there will be severa-lV shades from the same leaf.,

What is claimedis: v Y 1. A cigar sorting device comprising a tray `having slots in its bottom arranged in parallel series, removable members disposed in the-slots and being arranged in regularly Spaced'relation, and a cigar'sainple holding means onV each of the 'removable members.V

'12. A. cigar sortingV device comprising a tray having its bottom formed with parallel series of elongated slots, stems removabl disposed in the slots to form longitudinal series of cigar stack retaining walls, and a cigar sample holding means on the upper end oi each of the stemsv and including a rigid clamping jaw and a flexible clamping jaw. Y

3. A cigar sorting device including a tray and cigar sample supporting means carried thereby, each Vof said sample supporting means consisting of a stem, a transverse head onthe upper end of the stem, the headV having .a stationary rigid jaw,V and agflexible jaw on one face of the head and cooperating with the rigid jaw/to hold -a'rcigar sample therebetween.

4. Acigar sample supporting device coinprising a flat stem, a transverse head on the stem having a longitudinal groove one side wall oi which forms a'vertical rigid jaw, anda-'flexible rubber strip secured to the head and projecting above the adjacent sideV thereof to cooperate with the rigid jaw.

5'. In a cigar sorting device a tray having its bottom formed with a plurality-of series of elongated slots and cigarsample' holders comprising vertical fiat stems and cigar sample clampingjaws `on the upper end thereof, the jaws beingA arranged `to rest on the uppermost cigar of a'stack placed behind a stem, the stein being arranged to perform4 the functionvof a' retaining wall for the cigar stack. i Y Y VIn testimony whereof, I aifx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

oi-rRisTIAN F.1BREMER, itnesses s. Y

f RU'rHfHoWARD, n HARRYBELLAMY. 

